Finance minister reviews status of announcements in budget speech

Directs officials to ensure timely completion of various works

The State Finance minister Prakash Pant chaired a review meeting regarding the announcements made in the 2018-19 budget speech. He said that work on proposals submitted by the departments should be completed on time to ensure cent per cent benefit to the intended beneficiaries. Discussing in detail the departmental schemes, he reviewed the benefit to be facilitated through execution of the same. He directed officials to immediately present the utilisation certificate to the Central Government for the budget used so far under Centrally funded schemes so that the remaining fund is released soon. He further directed officials to ensure that the work target is achieved before the end of the financial year.

The tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar informed the minister about progress in the Swami Vivekanand international convention centre and wellness city in Rishikesh. He further informed that a proposal will soon be presented in the cabinet for further simplification of the home stay policy. Under the long term scheme for developing 13 new tourist destination in the 13 districts, he said that Rs 13 crore has been received for the purpose of which Rs 50 lakh has been released to each district.

The industries deputy director informed that in the start-up scheme till December 19, 128 startups had received recognition from the Central/State government.

The finance minister also reviewed progress towards doubling the income of farmers by 2022 under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, traditional agriculture development scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and clusters under the Adarsh Krishi Gram Yojana. He also reviewed works under national horticulture mission, Atal Jadi Buti Mission Yojana and externally funded schemes for horticulture development. Officials informed that under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Sahakarita Kisan Kalyan Yojana, this year a sum of Rs 733 crore was distributed among 1,50,480 farmers. Seven thousand groups of women were formed to make the rural women more capable under the national rural livelihood mission. Pant also reviewed various schemes and works related to watershed, potable water, forest and environment, medical health, education, labour, skill development, Public Works Department, transport, energy, housing, sports, science and technology and information technology.